| Books - Cooking, Food & Wine - Regional & International |
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| 1. Cooking from China's Fujian Province: One of China's Eight Great Cuisines by Jacqueline M. Newman | |
 | Kindle Edition
list price: $29.95 Asin: B0028K36P6 Publisher: Hippocrene Books Average Customer Review: 
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Editorial Review Fujianese cuisine makes marvelous use of the foods and herbs found in the region's mountains, flatlands, and on the coast. The staples rice, wheat, and sweet potatoes are featured in these sweet-and-pungent-flavored dishes. Buddha Jumping the Wall, a famous specialty, is made with shark's fin, scallops, chicken, mushrooms, yams, scallions, and much more. Popular Fujianese dishes such as Crossing Bridge Noodles, New Year Money Bags, and Steamed Sea Cucumber Pockets are highlighted. Also included are fascinating cultural and historical notes, handy glossaries of equipment and ingredients, and suggested menus for everyday meals and holidays. Eight pages of color photographs bring the foods of Fujian to life! Reviews
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| 2. Old Havana Cookbook: Cuban Recipes in Spanish and English (Bilingual Cookbooks) | |
 | Kindle Edition
(1999-12-01)
list price: $14.95 Asin: B00275EE62 Publisher: Hippocrene Books Average Customer Review: 
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| 3. Fine Filipino Food by Karen Hulene Bartell | |
 | Kindle Edition
(2003-06-30)
list price: $14.95 Asin: B002JVXWNA Publisher: Hippocrene Books Average Customer Review: 
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Editorial Review Enjoy this blend of cuisines with its 19 cooking methods, such asstir-frying, deep-frying, grilling on skewers, sautéing in coconutmilk, marinating in vinegar and spices, broiling over live charcoal,wrapping in banana leaves, and steaming. Fine Filipino Food features205 recipes, a glossary of ingredients, a guide to ingredientsubstitutions, and an extensive resource guide, which allow all homecooks to perfectly recreate these tantalizing dishes. Reviews
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| 4. Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan | |
 | Hardcover
list price: $40.00 -- our price: $24.00 (price subject to change: see help) Isbn: 0618875530 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Sales Rank: 50 Average Customer Review:
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| 5. Rachael Ray's Look + Cook by Rachael Ray | |
 | Paperback
(2010-11-02)
list price: $24.99 -- our price: $14.52 (price subject to change: see help) Isbn: 030759050X Publisher: Clarkson Potter Sales Rank: 88 Average Customer Review:
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| 6. Nile Style: Egyptian Cuisine and Culture: Ancient Festivals, Significant Ceremonies, and Modern Celebrations (Hippocrene Cookbook Library) by Amy Riolo | |
 | Kindle Edition
(2009-03-28)
list price: $29.95 Asin: B003JTHY5S Publisher: Hippocrene Books Average Customer Review:
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| 8. As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto | |
 | Hardcover
(2010-12-01)
list price: $26.00 -- our price: $15.49 (price subject to change: see help) Isbn: 0547417713 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Sales Rank: 78 Average Customer Review:
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) It's easy to recommend this book to dedicated foodies, and certainly to fans of Julia Child. "As Always, Julia" is the collection of the correspondence between Julia Child and her friend, mentor, and editor Avis DeVoto, from the time in 1952 when Julia wrote a fan letter to Avis' husband (regarding an article he'd written about kitchen knives) and mentioned in-passing that she was working on a cookbook, until the time several years later that the cookbook finally was published.
If you're interested in Julia Child the person (and My Life in France wasn't enough for you, whether or not accompanied by the Julie & Julia movie), then "As Always, Julia" is a no-brainer, because these were the letters shared by two intelligent and opinionated women who were confiding in one another, not talking to a microphone. And confide they did: about Avis' child-raising and Paul Child's job as well as the difficulty of finding fresh shallots. It is, more than anything else, the story of a real life friendship, and better than any epistolary novel you can imagine. You will know these women well, at their most personal, such as Avis writing, "I like every part about growing older except what happens to your feet." (It's hard to imagine anyone compiling such a collection now, with all of us writing e-mail -- if that -- and only packrats like myself keeping copies of everything for decades.) But the book is interesting for several other reasons. Watching the creation of a masterpiece: Mastering the Art of French Cooking was an instant classic, and it was the result of years of hard work. But the words "it was the result of years of hard work" does not begin to capture the number of cooking experiments Julia (and Simca) did, or contract negotiations, or research into the equipment that Julia could expect a typical American housewife to own. She experimented with pressure cookers, for instance, to find out if they were okay for making chicken or duck stock. "First time the [pressure cooker] brew was so horrible I threw it away." Then, after adding the vegetables only at the end, "Again it was loathsome so I threw it out." Many ducks gave their lives for such research, and the Childs often found themselves "bilious" after all these experiments. Would-be writers (or any creator waiting for her ship to come in) may be heartened or inspired by the knowledge that even Julia had self-doubts. She wrote in 1953, "There is so much that has been written, by people so much more professional than I, that I wonder what in the hell I am presuming to do, anyway." A snapshot of foodie history: My mother was never excited about cooking, and I don't think she owned a copy of MtAoFC. But I do remember shopping for groceries in the 1960s and early 1970s, when cookbooks had to give detailed explanations about what cilantro is, or how to make your own coconut milk. It was worse in the 1950s, and much of the Avis-Julia correspondence is about what was (or usually wasn't) available, from decent jarred chives to fresh clams anywhere but the coastal cities. They also debated the wisdom of getting those newfangled dishwashers, Waring blenders, and other devices that, they started out agreeing, nobody really needed. A "daily history" of the McCarthy era: Nowadays, we tend to think of the time when Senator McCarthy held sway as a bizarre interlude in American history, but few of us remember it personally. Julia and Avis were extremely political women; one constant theme in their letters was the current political landscape, which they actively abhorred, and their letters become a chronicle of living through that time. "Oh god I wish this madness would subside, as I know it will, but it is exhausting watching all this go on," wrote Avis in 1953. "I do not enjoy watching the Senate floor turned into a bear-pit." There's so much political discourse, in fact, that it might lower the book's value for some readers. (Or raise it for others, if you're more political than I.) While I care about their views (or at least their passions) it often was more than I needed to know. But I could comfortably skip ahead through those parts. A view of intelligent, accomplished women in a pre-Betty Friedan world: Both Julia and Avis were upper-class women who saw themselves as "housewives" but simultaneously were engaged in serious endeavors. Avis was active in Boston-area intelligentsia (Bernard DeVoto had taught at Harvard), in politics (dinner guests included the Schlessingers and Kennedys), and in book publishing (not the least of which was her initial introduction of Julia to book acquisition editors). Julia was part of the government agency's social scene throughout Paul Child's career, not to mention her own cooking accomplishments in the 40s and 50s. This book is a picture of the years before "Women's liberation" were coined, including social mores. The poet May Sarton, a friend to both Avis and Julia, has a "special relationship;" the editor's footnote explains this meant that Sarton was lesbian. It was indeed a different world, and I'm grateful for a peephole into it -- and even more grateful not to live in it. As you can tell: I've really enjoyed this book. I think you will, too -- and not just for foodie reasons.
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) Who would have guessed that Julia Child was a control freak?
Judging by her own letters, it seems that she was often in various stages of irritation at her two co-authors of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the book that launched her career. One co-author didn't do her share of the work, although in her defense, it's unlikely that any of them realized when they began, that they were embarking on what would be a 20-year-long project that was anything but smooth. Her other colleague was a hard worker, but something of a perfectionist, often second-guessing Julia's meticulous research. It's amazing the book was published at all. Julia became pen pals with Avis DeVoto, a reviewer of mysteries and wife of Bernard DeVoto, a writer and editor. Julia had written to Bernard about an article he had written and he asked Avis to answer the letter. Julia and Avis hit it off immediately and began a correspondence and friendship that lasted the rest of their lives. Julia was an expert at French cooking, but she knew little about book publishing and oddly, little about American cooking. She had never cooked when she lived in America, and had learned everything she knew about cooking in Paris, so she had peculiar gaps in her knowledge, such as that Americans keep their fresh eggs in cartons in the refrigerator, not in a bowl on the counter. Avis was able to keep such clangers from getting into the book, as well as steering Julia to editors who would be open to the idea of such an ambitious cookbook. Avis also acted as Julia's stateside researcher, answering questions such as whether cake flour was available, or just all-purpose flour. Avis alerted her to new trends in American cooking, such as the use of mono sodium glutamate (MSG) in the form of sprinkle-on Accent. They wrote about politics as well, with Senator Joseph McCarthy and his hunt for communists the topic of the day. Julia and husband Paul moved from Paris to Marseilles to Germany to Oslo during the 1950s, and she wrote Avis how they were adapting to each new home and how their attempts at language learning were going. Julia loved getting to know new places, but her heart always belonged to Paris. After two years of letter writing, Avis and Julia finally met in France, and they met a few more times over the years, until the Childs finally returned to the States for good and could see the DeVotos on a more regular basis. The letters span the years from 1952 to 1961 and are remarkably interesting despite their share of mundane matters such as the weather and who had what seasonal disease. Julia and Paul went to a play while they were visiting New York in 1957 and were impressed by the "young male lead, Richard Burton...he is English, I believe." In a prescient letter dated 1952, Julia told Avis "I'm enjoying [teaching French cooking to Americans] immensely, as I've finally found a real and satisfying profession which will keep me busy well into the year 2000."
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) Picture a young wife, circa 1963, faced with entertaining her husband's European business associates and friends (one of whom was a Swiss trained chef!), but whose only cookbook was "Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook." Now, imagine her astonishment as she thumbs through her brand new book entitled, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." Talk about prayers being answered! Yes, Julia was responsible for awakening my passion for cooking that continues to this day.
But much as I appreciated Julia as an excellent instructor and enjoyed her television appearances, I had no clue how intelligent, witty and warm hearted she was until I read these letters. In addition, what a pleasure it was to meet her friend, Avis DeVoto, every bit as charming and erudite as Julia. How extraordinary that these two "met" when Julia sent a couple of good French knives to Avis's husband, the writer Bernard DeVoto, after reading his article complaining about the lack of quality in American kitchen knives. That simple gift was the seed of a friendship that is beyond heartwarming to read about. For those of us who remember the late `50's, these letters also remind us of the turmoil surrounding the McCarthy witch hunts and the latter hearings, years that can only be described today as "bizarre." But it reminds us of how easy it is for just one person to create an atmosphere of suspicion and hearsay so poisonous, that, for awhile, it can intimidate an entire country. When I first began reading this rather large book, I thought I would keep it by my bedside and read a few letters each evening. Ha! "Bet you can't eat (read) just one!" Instead, I promptly gave in and let the rest of the world go by while I devoured every word until the end. I can't remember the last time that happened. History, humor, inspiring and unforgettable personalities -- what more can you want in a book?
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) A great and lasting friendship was born on March 8, 1952, when a young American housewife living in Paris, Julia Child, wrote a short letter to historian Bernard DeVoto, complimenting him on an occasional piece he had written in Harper's lamenting the absence of good carving knives in the States, where knives seemed all to be made of stainless steel, which would not hold an edge. Mrs. Child included a French knife in her letter -forged carbon steel. Mr. DeVoto was swamped with work at the time so his wife, Avis, wrote back. Avis and Julia are one of the great pairs of friends in modern times. They were both sharp as pins, they were irreverent and opinionated, and, most of all, they both were genuinely interested in the people and things around them. Avis's letters are now released from archive and veteran culinary historian Joan Reardon has done a labor of love, combining Avis's and Julia's letters across the span of almost ten years (1952-61) to tell the story of a lovely friendship and of the growth to maturity of the author of one of the classic cookbooks of modern times.
On February 12, 1953, Julia Child wrote her new pen pal, Avis DeVoto, to describe a dinner Julia and her two colleagues in their new Ecole des Trois Gourmandes had attended the night before with famed Parisian gourmand Maurice Curnonsky ("the Prince of Gastronomy"). "At the party," she wrote, "was a dogmatic meatball who considers himself a gourmet but is just a big bag of wind. They were talking about Beurre Blanc, and how it was a mystery, and only a few people could do it, and how it could only be made with white shallots from Lorraine and over a wood fire. Phoo. But that is so damned typical, making a damned mystery out of perfectly simple things just to puff themselves up." She concluded, tongue in cheek, by writing: "I didn't say anything as, being a foreigner, I don't know anything anyway." Two pares later, she's rhapsodizing over the kind of kitchen she'd like to have if she were rich: "I am going to have a kitchen where everything is my height [over six feet], and none of this pigmy [sic.] stuff, and maybe 4 ovens, and 12 burners all in a line, a 3 broilers, and a charcoal grill, and a spit that turns." That's Julia to a T, always unbuttoned in her opinions, wobbly in her spelling, bursting with energy, savoring whatever life offered her. She wasn't yet the world authority on French cooking she would soon become but she already knew where she was heading and she knew how she wanted to get there -every recipe tested, adaptations made to American materials, tastes and equipment, the `secrets' of French cuisine made clear and obvious to even the neophyte cook. (She commented once about another French cookbook that it should spell out what weight hen to buy for coq au vin -a five-pounder, which is what the recipe called for, would be an old hen: it wouldn't cook in forty-five minutes as the recipe stated; it'd still be tough as leather.) Julia hadn't finished her immortal Mastering the Art of French Cooking yet, but Avis and she were talking about it. Avis lived in Cambridge, Julia in Paris. Avis hoped to get Julia a decent publishing contract with Houghton Mifflin, a publishing house with which she had contacts. The letters continue through 1961, by which time Mastering had been published, not, alas, by Houghton Mifflin, but by Alfred Knopf. Bernard had died unexpectedly in 1955. Julia and her husband Paul had paid for Avis to visit them in France. The flurry of letters back and forty continued unabated but by that point the continuing themes of their correspondence are in place. As much fun as their letters are to read, at this point there are few new revelations. But who cares? These are first class letters by two first class people, and who would not want to know more about the forging of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I? A warning: There is a lot about cooking in these letters, typically gone into in great detail. Julia asks Avis for American ingredients (dried spices, for example) and cooking equipment and counsels her how to make dishes, Avis corrects errors and un-Americanisms in Julia's prose. Other topics pop up repeatedly, most notably, in the earlier portions of the book, their caustic commentary on the Red Scare, Senator Joe McCarthy, and the spineless elected officials who time and again failed to confront him. These are two tough (but very warm) ladies. It's a treat to be let in on their intimate and prolonged conversation with each other.
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) In 1951, American West historian Bernard DeVoto wrote an article for Harper's magazine in which he deplored the lack of adequate knives for the American housewife. In Paris, Julia Child read the article and sent him a French kitchen knife. Avis DeVoto, Bernard's wife, who answered her husband's mail, wrote back to Julia. From this start, the two women corresponded until Avis' death in 1989.
"As Always" covers only ten years of their 38-year friendship. During that 10-year period, Julia attended Le Cordon Bleu to learn how to master French cooking and decided to write a French cookbook for American women. Over the course of a 38-year friendship, the two women wrote hundreds of letters. Reading these letters was fascinating because interspersed in the two on-going topics of cooking and eating were discussions of politics, living in foreign countries, and many other topics. One has to wonder whether these two erudite and intelligent women would produce such a body of correspondence in this day of 140-character tweets, 500-word blog posts, and emails. If you love cooking, eating, Julia Child, cookbooks, and intelligent women, this book will fascinate you.
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) Julia Child's legacy still lives on whether through her foundation or her revolutionary television show on public television, "The French Chef." Despite her own WASPY upbringing in Pasadena, California in a well-to-do family, she had planned on becoming a novelist in New York City and went to serve her country in Ceylon where she met Paul Child, her loving husband. He accepted an assignment in France. There Julia decided to expand her knowledge on French cuisine and gastronomy with enthusiasm, fascination, and interest.
THis book is not just about Julia Child but about a friendship between her and Avis De Voto, the wife of author Bernard DeVoto. Avis replied to her letter and there began a friendship of love, devotion, honesty, and candid between these two women until the end of their lives. Their letters also express the time in the 1950s whether set in Cambridge, Massachusetts where Avis lived with her family and all over Europe where Julia and Paul had managed to live in Paris, Marseilles, Germany, and Oslo among his assignments. In the duration, Julia had worked with Louisette and Simca, two French chefs, on a cookbook that was years in the making. In many ways, Avis was the fourth author of this book. She was the force to get it published in the United States through her contacts. In reading this book compiled by the author, the letters do go into details about food a little too much for me. Avis was also an accomplished chef. But it's a fascinating look at American life and the world of letter writing between two exceptional, brilliant women who revolutionized the publishing and cuisine industries to this day.
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) This is the kind of book where you come to know the writers like friends, grow to love them, and feel their joys and tragedies as your own. In the opening sections I was captivated by the chatty, literate voices of Avis and Julia, their generous wit and intelligence, and the exciting political and cultural circles in which they moved even more than any of the specific--and also wonderful--information about food. Avis is married to the noted Harvard historian, novelist, and Harper's columnist Bernard DeVoto and knows everybody, writing about Adlai Stevenson, Archie MacLeish, and the scions of American publishing as houseguests and `lambs.' Speaking of Dorothy de Santillana, a top editor at Houghton Mifflin, she remarks, "She used to be married to Robert Hillyer [a Pulitzer prize-winning poet and novelist]. She is now married to Giorgio de S., who is an Italian marquis and teaches history of philosophy at MIT and is a darling. . . You'll die when you meet Dorothy because she is very beautiful and enormously fat--I think this is really one of the rare glandular cases--it makes no difference because she is a great natural force and men gravitate towards her like flies. I'm quite sure she'd give her eye teeth to get this particular book."
I was both amused and intrigued by this breezy kind of talk and the up close and personal views of American literati, their dinners and cocktail parties, and Julia's and Avis's thoughts on such subjects as the `new' stainless steel knives, Dick Nixon, frozen vegetables, roasting chickens, the French, Peyton Place, and McCarthyism. It was like being steeped in pitch-perfect Fifties culture as experienced by tremendously talented, intelligent women immersed in domesticity and serving others and yet somehow managing, quite heroically I might add, to craft lives where their own remarkable gifts shine through. It took me a while to realize just how courageous these women were because part of their outward cheeriness and generosity towards others is making it all look not that hard. As the years roll by and their labors on Julia's manuscript and for their families continue, you start to see along with all the recipes and other commentary more of the very real hardships they face and the steadfast determination that gets them through. The book is organized by editor Reardon so that you know when something very tragic or really wonderful is about to happen, and then you live through it with the women in their letters as it occurs. This makes for an incredibly engrossing, affecting read. As the Booklist reviewer pointed out, Avis thought Julia's book was as exciting as a novel, and their correspondence about creating a culinary masterpiece and surviving the ups and downs of midlife is certainly the same. In fact, it's richer, more sumptuous, true, and moving than almost anything I've read this year. You don't even have to be that interested in food or cooking to get swept up by the story. Thank goodness Houghton Mifflin had the good sense to publish their book this time!
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) For those of us whose appetite for all things Julia was whetted by My Life In France and the movie Julie and Julia, As Always, Julia is a gift. A bonus is getting to know the inimitable Avis deVoto, a vibrant and memorable character in her own right, whose role in creating the phenomenon that was Julia Child and Mastering The Art Of French Cooking deserves to be better known.
Things began in 1951 when Harvard historian and foodie Bernard deVoto wrote an article for Harper's on the abysmal quality of American made kitchen knives. Julia Child wrote in response, mentioning her interest in French cooking for American kitchens and sending along a French knife. Bernard's wife/secretary Avis wrote back in thanks, requesting recipes for a couple of French dishes she remembered fondly from a trip abroad. Their ensuing correspondence resulted in a deep friendship and the eventual publication of Mastering The Art Of French Cooking, revolutionizing American kitchens, supermarkets and, it can be argued, quality of life. As Avis would say, "Wow." The French Chef and the Cambridge hostess had much in common. They were both curious and avid readers, loved parties, wines, politics, jokes and cooking and eating great food. These letters sparkle, even when the contents are gloomy. Julia's humor, honesty and exuberance leap from the page, her zest for life evident even when relating an anecdote about a truly awful ladies' luncheon in Oslo. It's prefaced with a succinct, "Gawd!" and ends with "Ugh." In addition, there is delightful commentary on people and events and wonderful glimpses inside Julia's marriage to that Renaissance man, Paul Child through their many moves, language lessons, health issues and conflicts between his job and her own ambitions. For her part, Avis' letters reveal a sharp and rigorous intellect, a deep commitment to home and family, and wide ranging interests. They provide a fascinating picture of domestic life among the Cambridge intelligentsia in the second half of the last century. Highly entertaining descriptions of what was available in grocery stores, uses of aluminum foil, quality of frozen vegetables, meals she cooked (often with the benefit of Julia's coaching) and parties she attended are interspersed with blunt and perceptive characterizations of public figures; Sen. Joseph McCarthy "...really insane," President Eisenhower "a dope;" and Adlai Stevenson "a nice man." It was Avis who knew the ins and outs of publishing and while MTAOFC might have seen the light of day without her help, it was her suggestions, contacts and guidance that made the book what it is. From initial feelers to Dorothy de Santillana (resident of The Pnk Palace), the only woman editor at Houghton Mifflin, through the devastating news that after seven years of consideration and work, HM turned it down, Avis was its indefagitable champion and just as euphoric as the Childs when it found its home at Knopf. Her letter to the Childs delivering the news is one of the most eloquent and charming in the book, espressing love, respect and admiration and joy. My only complaint is that the footnotes are somewhat distracting and perplexing. On the one hand Ms. Reardon provides a great deal of information on people we already know about (Richard Nixon, Arthur Schlesinger, Archibald MacLeish), information on people mentioned once in passing at a dinner party or something but ignores juicy details of incidents and anecdotes we'd love to know more about. Avis and Julia run away with two-thirds of the book, leaving Ms. Reardon and her footnotes in the dust, but she really tried. The section introductions are informative and good if perhaps the book could have done with more editing--there's a lot of step by step cooking in it, and some dullish passages about long-over political debates--but better too much than too little, and one can only imagine Ms. Reardon's state of mind when faced with the task of compiling these letters. Overall it's an heroic effort, and minor quibbles are just that. Highly, highly recommended. ... Read more | |
| 9. Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1 by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, Simone Beck | |
 | Hardcover
list price: $40.00 -- our price: $21.99 (price subject to change: see help) Isbn: 0375413405 Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Sales Rank: 97 Average Customer Review:
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Editorial Review Reviews
We learned how to make omelets, roasts, soups like Vichysoisse (surprisingly simple potato and leek soup), and how to cook the bumper crop of garden green beans in a new and very delectable manner. I still think that this may be one of the best cookbooks for vegetables that I have on my shelf. I prize it for the meat section, especially a veal ragout that is possibly one of the most luxurious company dishes for a dinner party. It can be made ahead, and in fact, improves if you do. There are a lot of delicious desserts, some complicated (like Creme Bavaroise) and some cakes such as Reine de Saba (Queen of Sheba), a darkly moist and modest looking little chocolate cake. This is easy to make, but so rich and delicious it should be banned by the AMA. What's not in here is French Bread. That's in Volume II. We made French-style green beans and the Reine de Saba cake one memorable Thanksgiving when we were very young, and even the kids (seven cousins, five of which were BOYS) sat politely glued to the table for the ENTIRE meal instead of getting up and running around halfway through the feast. The food was THAT good. While I don't make French food every day because I watch my weight, I do use this book for the princples of good food preparation, even if omitting cream or substituting lower fat choices.
With Julia Child's celebrity arising from her long series of TV cooking shows on PBS, it may be easy to forget how Ms. Child rose to a position with the authority that gave her the cachet to do these shows in the first place. This book is the foundation of that cachet and the basis of Ms. Child's influence with an entire generation of amateur and professional chefs. It may also be easy to forget that this book has three authors and not just one. The three began as instructors in a school of French cooking, `Les Ecole des Trois Gourmandes' operating in Paris in the 1950's. And, it was from their experience with this school that led them to write this book. To be fair, Julia Child originated a majority of the culinary content and contributed almost all of the grunt work with her editors and publisher to get the book published. The influence of this book cannot be underestimated. It has been written that the style of recipe writing even influenced James Beard, the leading American culinary authority at the time, to change his style of writing in a major cookbook on which he was working when `...French Cooking' was published. Many major American celebrity experts in culinary matters have cited Child and this book as a major influence. Not the least of these is Martha Stewart and Ina Garten. It is interesting that these first to come to mind are not professional chefs, but caterers and teachers of the household cook. Child was not necessarily teaching `haute cuisine', she was teaching what has been named `la cuisine Bourgeoise' or the cooking of the housewife and, to some extent, the cooking of the bistro and brasserie, not the one or two or three star restaurant. The table of contents follows a very familiar and very comfortable outline, with major chapters covering Soups, Sauces, Eggs, Entrees and Luncheon Dishes, Fish, Poultry, Meat, Vegetables, Cold Buffet, and Deserts and Cakes. The table of contents does not itemize every recipe, but it does break topics down so that one can come very close to a type of preparation you wish from the table of contents. One of the very attractive schemas used to organize recipes in this book is to take a general topic such as Roast Chicken and give not one, but many different variations on this basic method. Under Roast Chicken, for example, you see Spit-roasted Chicken, Roast Chicken Basted with Cream, Roast Chicken Steeped with Port Wine, Roast Squab Chickens with Chicken Liver Canapes, Casserole-roasted Chicken with Tarragon and Casserole-roasted Chicken with Bacon. Thus, the book is not only a tutorial of techniques, it is also a work of taxonomy, giving one a picture of the whole range of variations possible to a basic technique. The book goes far beyond being a simple collection of recipes in many other ways without straying from the culinary material. Unlike books combining regional recipes with anecdotal memoirs, this book is all business. Heading the recipes is a wealth of general knowledge on cooking variables such as weights versus cooking time and conditions. Headnotes also include general techniques on, for example, how to truss a chicken (with drawings) and many deep observations on professional technique. The notes on roasting chicken instructing one to attend to all the senses in watching and listening to the cooking meat in order to obtain the very best results. This may have easily come from the pen of Wolfgang Puck or Mario Batali. The individual recipe writing is detailed in the extreme, and recipes typically run to two to three times as long as you may see in `The Joy of Cooking' or `James Beard's American Cookery'. The recipes are also very `modular'. A single recipe may actually require the cooking of two or three component preparations. This is not an invention of Julia Child. I believe she has captured here an essential characteristic of French culinary tradition. The most common of these advance preparations is a stock. More complicated examples are to make a potato salad, a dish in itself, as a component to a Salade Nicoise. What Child may have originated, at least to the world of American cookbook writing, is the notion of a Master Recipe, where many different dishes are presented as variations on a basic preparation. This notion has been used and misused for decades. This book has become so important in its field that it seems almost irreverent to question the quality of the recipes. I can only say that I have prepared several dishes from these pages, and have always produced a tasty dish and learned something new with each experience. While there are other excellent introductions to French Cooking such as Madeline Kamman's `The New Making of a Chef', one simply cannot go wrong by using this book as ones entree into cooking in general and French cooking in particular. The more I read other cooking authorities' writing, the more I respect the work of Julia Child and company. Observations on technique that went right over my head two years ago are now revealed as signs of a deep insight into cooking technique. As large as the book is, the material presented to Knopf in 1961 was actually much larger and the second volume of the book is largely material created for the original writing. To get a reasonably complete picture of French Cookery, do get both volumes at the same time. A true classic with both simple and advanced techniques. A superb introduction for someone who is just beginning an interest in food.
Fear not...here's help! The ISBN number for the second volume is 0394721772. Search using this number to find it. ... Read more | |
| 10. Good Eats 2: The Middle Years by Alton Brown | |
 | Hardcover
list price: $37.50 -- our price: $22.50 (price subject to change: see help) Isbn: 1584798572 Publisher: Stewart, Tabori & Chang Sales Rank: 112 Average Customer Review:
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Editorial Review Good Eats 2: The Middle Years picks up where the bestselling Good Eats: The Early Years left off. Showcasing everything Alton Brown fans (and they are legion!) have ever wanted to know about his award-winning television show, The Middle Years is chock-full of behind-the-scenes photographs and trivia, science-of-food information, cooking tips, and—of course—recipes. Reviews
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| 11. Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition - 2006 by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, Ethan Becker | |
 | Hardcover
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Editorial Review BACK TO BASICSThe perfect boiled egg*fluffy rice*pancakes light as air*choosing the perfect cut of meat* no fail cakes* knife skills* vegetables for every meal*cooking with fresh herbs*how to cook fish*roast chicken with crispy skin*fresh salads and homemade dressings*crisp fritters, fries, and onion rings* casserole cooking*finding the right sauce for the pasta*easy homemade pie dough*simple stock making*chewy and cakey cookies and brownies*quick pan sauces for meats BRAND NEWA return to the American classics from enchiladas and chop suey to velvet cake and mud pie* all new illustrations*rich new soups*more grilling recipes*homemade ice cream and sorbet*slow cooker recipes*complete new grains*food for a crowd*how to freeze ingredients, dishes and entire meals*beverages and party drinks for entertaining and family meals* making jellies, jams and preserves* how to can fruits and vegetables*quick suppers*brining meats and shellfish RETURN TO REFERENCECutting-edge nutritional information*Expanded Know Your Ingredients*More information about storing and keeping foods*more menu planning*new illustrations of techniques*new sections on high altitude baking and cooking*cooking with wine and spirits*stocking your pantry*buying the right equipment*expanded index*botanical information*ingredient substitutions*expanded information on fish and game*entertaining how-to from supper clubs to children's parties Reviews
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| 12. Mastering the Art of French Cooking (2 Volume Set) by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, Simone Beck | |
 | Hardcover
list price: $89.95 -- our price: $50.51 (price subject to change: see help) Isbn: 0307593525 Publisher: Knopf Sales Rank: 132 Average Customer Review:
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| 13. Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller | |
 | Hardcover
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| 14. The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs by Karen Page, Andrew Dornenburg | |
 | Hardcover
list price: $35.00 -- our price: $22.83 (price subject to change: see help) Isbn: 0316118400 Publisher: Little, Brown and Company Sales Rank: 185 Average Customer Review:
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| 15. Good Eats: The Early Years by Alton Brown | |
 | Hardcover
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| 16. One Big Table: 600 recipes from the nation's best home cooks, farmers, fishermen, pit-masters, and chefs by Molly O'Neill | |
 | Hardcover
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Editorial Review Meticulously selected from more than 20,000 contributions, the cookbook’s 600 recipes are a definitive portrait of what we eat and why. In this lavish volume—illustrated throughout with historic photographs, folk art, vintage advertisements, and family snapshots—O’Neill celebrates heirloom recipes like the Doughty family’s old-fashioned black duck and dumplings that originated on a long-vanished island off Virginia’s Eastern Shore, the Pueblo tamales that Norma Naranjo makes in her horno in New Mexico, as well as modern riffs such as a Boston teenager’s recipe for asparagus soup scented with nigella seeds and truffle oil. Many recipes offer a bridge between first-generation immigrants and their progeny—the bucatini with dandelion greens and spring garlic that an Italian immigrant and his grandson forage for in the Vermont woods—while others are contemporary variations that embody each generation’s restless obsession with distinguishing itself from its predecessors. O’Neill cooks with artists, writers, doctors, truck drivers, food bloggers, scallop divers, horse trainers, potluckers, and gourmet club members. In a world where takeout is just a phone call away, One Big Table reminds us of the importance of remaining connected to the food we put on our tables. As this brilliantly edited collection shows on every page, the glories of a home-cooked meal prove how every generation has enriched and expanded our idea of American food. Every recipe in this book is a testament to the way our memories—historical, cultural, and personal—are bound up in our favorite and best family dishes. As O’Neill writes, "Most Americans cook from the heart as well as from a distinctly American yearning, something I could feel but couldn’t describe until thousands of miles of highway helped me identify it in myself: hometown appetite. This book is a journey through hundreds of ‘hometowns’ that fuel the American appetite, recipe by recipe, bite by bite." Reviews
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| 17. Giada at Home: Family Recipes from Italy and California by Giada De Laurentiis | |
 | Hardcover
list price: $35.00 -- our price: $20.47 (price subject to change: see help) Isbn: 0307451011 Publisher: Clarkson Potter Sales Rank: 330 Average Customer Review:
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Editorial Review
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) During my nine years of living in Rome, I discovered that the best dishes were based on simple recipes that could be prepared with infinite variations. In her latest book, celebrity chef Giada de Laurentiis demonstrates this proposition, presenting us with what in Italy is called cucina casareccia--and in California, home cooking.
Among her most mouth-watering concoctions are the antipasti: prosciutto-wrapped dates stuffed with blended mascarpone and goat cheese; smoked salmon and apple carpaccio; and fried cheese-stuffed zucchini blossoms (I was particularly grateful for her suggestion for testing the heat of the oil: toss a cube of bread into the olive oil--medium heat; when the bread browns, the oil is ready.). Similarly, her salads--"easy to throw together"--are truly inviting: an example is her green-bean salad, seasoned with fresh rosemary, parsley, chopped garlic, drizzled with olive oil (Her advice on choosing the best olive oil is especially enlightening.). Her lentil salad--mixed with grapes and cucumbers, among other ingredients, including hazelnuts--tickles one's tastebuds. And her recipe for Involtini--rolled-up beefsteaks filled with a mixture of various ingredients including garlic and basil--recalled forgotten memories of my father's putting me to work as a child, chopping parsely, garlic, together with something he called "fatback," which I imagine was lard, but which has now been substituted by olive oil. The strings with which he used to tie the involtini together have also been replaced by easier-to-use 4-inch skewers. Merely reading the recipe causes me to remember the aroma of involtini simmering in marinara sauce. The beauty of these recipes is that they invite one to be adventurous, as the author suggests in combining the best of Italy with the best of California. Are lobster tails too expensive when preparing her divine brown butter risotto? Substitute shrimp. Too much sugar for you in her imaginative strawberry and rosemary scones? Use half the amount! The amazing thing about Italian cooking is that, as the author remarks, it is always "evolving." Although "Giada at Home" contains some shortcuts, such as her tempting lemon-chicken soup, which calls for "low-sodium chicken broth" and " diced rotisserie chicken" [My father would turn over in his grave if he caught me following her suggestion to break the spaghetti into two-inch pieces!], many of her recipes, such as those which call for slicing, dicing, beating, and grating, require one to spend considerable time in the kitchen. If you have the patience and enjoy cooking, I am certain that the results will be worth the trouble. Buon' appetito!
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) When my younger sister first got me into The Food Network a few years ago, Giada's Everyday Italian become a quick favorite. From the very beginning, I felt like I had a connection with Giada. I was enamored by her tasty modern twists on Italian classics and simpler, more everyday approach to traditionally complex dishes -it also didn't hurt that I'm a big fan of Italian food and I my boyfriend has strong Italian heritage, so he's always happy to try out the recipes I get from Giada.
It didn't take long for my sister and I to introduce Giada to our parents, who also quickly become fans, and we started welcoming Giada into our kitchen regularly in the form of what we called "Giada dishes." Particularly after my sister and I gave my mother Everyday Pasta for Mother's Day last year, making Giada dishes become a big event that brought the family together. When I had the opportunity to check out Giada's latest cookbook, Giada at Home, I was more than excited and couldn't wait to see what tasty treats she had in store. Giada at Home: Family Recipes from Italy and California builds on the already fabulous library of Giada recipes that put a twist on Italian dishes. This cookbook includes tasty appetizers like stuffed baby peppers (which can easily be turned into a main dish) and beef skewers; a great selection of soups and sandwiches such as white bean and chicken chili and mini Italian pub burgers (a great twist on silders); mouth-watering pastas such as rigatoni with creamy mushroom sauce and penne with treviso and goat cheese; meat selections, such as a succulent turkey meatloaf with feta and sun-dried tomatoes; lovely salads that could become meals on there own; some Italian twists on desserts and, in a unique addition, a selection of Italian-style brunch foods, such as baked provolone and sausage frittata, campanelle pasta salad and even an Italian version of steak and eggs! I particularly liked the blend of more traditional Italian dishes and more modern dishes with a Californian flair. The collision between classic and modern really gave the recipes here some dimension and variety. Giada at Home follows the standard of gorgeous food photography set forth in previous Giada cookbooks. Along with photos of mouthwatering Italian treats, there are also several photos of Giada and her family, particularly her young daughter, Jade. My only tiny criticism of this cookbook is that I felt like Giada lost a little bit of her "everyday" aspect here. Some of the recipes got a little too complex or called for ingredients that are a little more difficult to find and have a much stronger appeal to "foodies." While I personally still loved the recipes here, some would have trouble with wide-spread appeal. Overall though, another fabulous cookbook from Giada!
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) Giada's show is the only cooking show I watch on a regular basis, because the pleasure she takes in the preparation and eating of a great meal is infectious, but never overboard. The recipes in this book offer the same fresh, almost joyful attitude towards food.
I have only tried three of the recipes--for one thing, they are seasonal and locally oriented, so I can't get any zuchinni blossoms or seasonal squash in February. But the white bean and chicken chili was a delightful winter meal (I made it with ground turkey). The rigatoni with creamy mushroom sauce was also delicious...and a great vegetarian option, as she pointed out in her notes. But the best of all was the pasta ponza. I love the concentrated flavor of roasted tomatoes, and with the addition of bread crumbs, this was a real treat. I have many more recipes to try, and look forward to it.
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) Giada has always been good about striking a balance between interesting dishes that impress and with realistic kitchen skills of the average cook. Her dishes are easy enough for a beginner to pull off and interesting enough to impress friends and family. Everytime I buy one of Giadas cookbooks I end up cooking and trying something totally new that I have never tried before. I have yet to be unable to cook a dish correctly and I have always enjoyed her recipes.
Giada at home focuses on family and recipes she loves for family meals. It has great pictures of her with her family, and the dishes are photographed with wonderful detail. The sections included, along with some top picks are: Appetizers- Stuffed Baby Peppers, Beef Skewers with cherry tomatoes and parsley sauce, bruchettas and crostinis. Soups and Sandwiches- Zucchini and Olive pizza, Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosemary Mayonnaise, Mini Italian Pub burgers and Lemon Chicken Soup with Spaghetti. Pasta and Grains- Gorgonzola and Porcini Mushroom Risotto, Fusilli with Spicy Pesto, Cheesy Baked Faro and Brown Butter Risotto with Lobster. Meat, Poultry and Fish- Honey Balsamic Lamb Chops, Grilled Salmon with Citrus Salsa Verde, Grilled Tuscan Steak with Fried Egg and Goat Cheese and Chicken Milanese with Tomato and Fennel Sauce. Vegetables and Salads- Grilled Asparagus and Melon Salad, Vegetable Parmesan, Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic, Gorgonzola and Herbs, and Skewered Greek Salad. Desserts- Espresso Caramel Bars, Lemon Hazelnut Tiramisu, Pomegranate and Mint Sorbet and Chocolate Honey Almond Tart. Brunch- Ginger Tea Lemonade with Basil, Citrus Salad, Egg White Frittata with Lox and Arugula, and Crispy Parmesan Biscuits. Those are just a few of the recipes featured in each section. This is an excellent recipe book that you will find yourself pulling out on a weekly basis.
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) Giada at Home / 978-0-30745-101-9
Part cookbook, but with biographical elements that provide interesting insight and reading into the featured chef's adjustment from Italian cuisine to American cuisine, and her fusion attempts with both, this book is an interesting read with several mouth-watering recipes. Many of the recipes feature full-page finished photos, and most of the Italian cuisine dialect is carefully explained to the reader (finally, I now know the difference between prosciutto and pancetta). It's worth remembering, when considering the purchase of this book, that the recipes here may be challenging for some American palates. Although Giada has tastefully combined American cuisine with her Italian childhood memories, the Italian flavors shine through heavily. Many of the recipes call for ingredients that may not be found outside of the nearest specialty market, almost none of the recipes utilize beef (and even the chicken and pork recipes are fairly sparing on the meat content), and there is a noticeable reliance on salty flavors in the meat and cheese dishes. Of course, none of this makes the cookbook less worthy of purchase, but like all specialty cookbooks, I would recommend flipping through a few recipes before purchase. Having said that, this is a very nice specialty cookbook - the flavor and variety are appreciated, the writing style is quite engaging, the pictures are beautiful, and the assembly instructions are adequate (although I would prefer pictorial assembly instructions where applicable, but I suppose that's a bit much to ask from a specialty book). ~ Ana Mardoll
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) I really enjoyed this cookbook and it's gotten a spot on my 'referred to' cookbook shelf. I tried a couple of dishes and they turned out great. While some use more exotic ingredients, most don't and you could whip them up without a lot of trouble.
Also, I'm a 'mostly vegetarian' and I found myself dog-earing a ton of recipes that look good and will please both me and my meat-eater husband. The little stories from Giada actually are informative (often I feel the author is just indulging themself with these little bits) and interesting. Though I saw a pre-pub edition so the pics were all kinda blurry and in black and white, it looks like there WILL be a photo included for almost (or possibly all) every recipe.
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) I think this is Giada's most well-rounded book to date. There's a nice mix of fast, easy recipes and more complicated (but not too much so) "weekend" type recipes, as well a familiar and more adventurous combinations. There's also a nice balance of main ingredients (beef, fish, chicken, pasta, veggies) and a good selection of desserts. The espresso caramel bars are divine, just divine. She says it's a more complicated recipe, but it was easy to prepare. Making the caramel is the hardest part, but if you don't trust your skills, you can buy caramels and melt them. The turkey meatloaf with feta and sun-dried tomatoes and Nonna Luna's rice are going to become a staple in my house, too. Both come together quickly, and while they have longer cooking times, it's in the oven so you can be doing other things.
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) As always, Giada comes through for us with the best recipes! The photos in this book are stunning and make me want to cook them all right now!! However, this book arrived just when I had to go on a specialided diet, so I've adapted a few to fit in with what I can eat, but I'm just awaiting the day when I can enjoy them the way they are meant to be. Many of the Italian recipes are similar to the old faded handwritten ones from my own grandmother, yet made more current somehow. Giada is skilled in updating the old Italian recipes.
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| 18. Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: An All-American Road Trip . . . with Recipes! (Food Network) by Guy Fieri, Ann Volkwein | |
 | Paperback
list price: $19.99 -- our price: $11.49 (price subject to change: see help) Isbn: 0061724882 Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks Sales Rank: 263 Average Customer Review: 
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Editorial Review Food Network star Guy Fieri takes you on a tour of America's most colorful diners, drive-ins, and dives in this tie-in to his enormously popular television show, complete with recipes, photos, and memorabilia. Packed with Guy's iconic personality, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives follows his hot-rod trips around the country, mapping out the best places most of us have never heard of. From digging in at legendary burger joint the Squeeze Inn in Sacramento, California, baking Peanut Pie from Virginia Diner in Wakefield, Virginia, or kicking back with Pete's "Rubbed and Almost Fried" Turkey Sandwich from Panini Pete's in Fairhope, Alabama, Guy showcases the amazing personalities, fascinating stories, and outrageously good food offered by these American treasures. Reviews
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) I really wanted to LOVE this book, I really did. I'm such a huge fan of Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" television show, and I've been hoping he'd come out with a cookbook containing recipes featured on his shows.
I'm a sucker for great road food, and often go out of my way to try a "hole in the wall" diner. Guy has traveled the US highlighting exactly the kinds of places I love to visit. His show on Food Network is loads of fun. No one can describe food like Guy, with his blend of humor and killer adjectives. The humor doesn't translate all that well in print, and the jokes just aren't that funny. But I didn't get this book for the jokes -- I got it for the recipes. The recipes that are included are OK -- but if you're a fan of the show, don't expect to find very many of the dishes Guy spotlighted. There are a few (the Cap'n Crunch French Toast from the Blue Moon Cafe in Baltimore, for example), but the bulk of the recipes are "new." It was more than a little frustrating to read about the wonderful dishes in Guy's descriptions of the restaurant, only to find few recipes for any of them. While each establishment is represented by a recipe, almost none of the recipes are described in the narrative. For example, Baby Blues Bar-B-Q in Venice, CA -- Guy waxes rhapsodic over the "killer mac and cheese made from four cheeses" and "grilled corn with chipotle-poblano butter and cotijo cheese sprinked on top." The featured recipe: saut�ed okra. Huh? That's not to say these are not GOOD recipes -- in fact, most of them look pretty darned tasty. And if your expectations don't include recipes for dishes featured on the show, these will be just fine. As a travelogue, it's probably OK, too. And maybe that was its intended purpose, rather than a "cookbook." Or maybe it can't really decide what it wants to be. But if you're like me, you might be a little disappointed that the dishes included in the book are NOT the ones that made your mouth water when you watched the show OR read about them here.
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) And one book I will take on my next road trip - although why CaveMan Chicken is not in here......
Guy Fieri from the Food Channel takes the reader on a tour of his favorite Diners Drive-Ins and Dives around the country. The book is broken up into regional sections - Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, South, Midwest and West & Southwest. Each place gets a two page bit with pictures describing the restaurant, its history, owners and their specialty to fame. There's also a box on a sidebar called "Track it Down" with full business name, address, phone numbers and website (if available). Also included are recipes from many of the featured restaurants, and most look quite simple with minimal fuss and ingredients. Whilst I'm not much for spending time in the kitchen a few of these are putting me in the mood -- Cap'n Crunch French Toast, BBB Mac and Cheese, Chorizo Garbage Plate, a potato chip "In"crusted Dolphin (mahi mahi) sandwich and more. The book is paperback 7" x 9" (should slip easily into your luggage), and the photos are all black and white and not on glossy paper. At the back of the book is a recipe index by type (breakfast, starters, dinner, etc.) along with a List of restaurants. I've not perused others roadside dining books to draw a comparison to, but I've found it quite entertaining perusing the recipes, as have my coworkers -- definitely a good conversation piece. Four stars.
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) Guy Fieri was the first winner of the "Next Food Network Star" andhe is no flash in the pan. His tv show is entertaining. But how does the book stack up?
Very well. Mr Fieri visits (and revisits) over 50 "diners, drive-ins and dives" with a signature recipe from each location. The recipes are as diverse as "Cap'n Crunch French Toast" from the Blue Moon Cafe' in Baltimore, Maryland to a falafel from the Original Falafel's Drive-In in San Jose', California. The restaurant descriptions make you want to hop in the car and check them out. I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to try any sort of new recipe, as the book includes a diverse group of recipes. I would also recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Mr Fieri (and who isn't?). Finally, if you're planning a road trip, this is the book for you. You can stay away from the chain restaurants and try something unique to the area you're visiting. Or you might find a homegrown delight in your own backyard. This book is great fun to read.
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) I love the TV show and could not wait to get the book. While it's a fun book, it's a bit of a disappointment in terms of being a recipe book (most of the recipes in the book are not anything I would want to try making), but it's still a very good companion piece to the TV show. Anyone looking for an actual "cookbook" might want to avoid this one, but if you're a fan of the show. Go ahead and give it a try. Three and a half stars for this one.
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) This book, given the places Guy Fieri has visited, had great potential, but it failed to live up to that potential. I love the show and to eat at the types of places that he frequents, so I had high hopes that the book would provide a number of new places to explore and provide recipes so that I could recreate the food from some favorites at home.
While the book looks substantial, it only highlights a relatively few establishments. There are regional headings, which tend to be very broad (New England/ Mid-Atlantic, etc) and each only has a small number of eateries. New England has a whooping 4 places listed, which is about the number that I could point him towards in single towns in New England. And, with the exception of Baltimore and the State of New Jersey, most other areas are equally under represented. The recipes are equally sparse in most cases. A goodly number feature recipes that could be easily figured out by a diner at a particular establishment without the help of a trained restaurateur. There are recipes for burgers and sandwiches galore, along with such things as coleslaw. Not the most interesting or inspiring book. I would have preferred that he visited a number of establishments in a given region and then written a book by region. By doing that, he would have created a series of books that could have traveled with me on trips...as it is, this isn't worth the trouble to pack. I usually know where I am headed, so I can easily photocopy the places that might hold interest. This had strong potential, which in my opinion was wasted. More time spent on the book would have yielded a better product that could have started a line of books. I doubt I will bother with anything else he prints unless I check it out in advance.
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) The perfect natural extension of the Food Network show. If I ever take a cross-country road trip, this is going to be my primary reference - kept right on the front seat.
In the book, Fieri hightlights over 50 of his 'discoveries' across the nation from his show. He includes a short recap, interesing facts about each place, pictures (usually of Fieri hamming it up with the staff), and interesting side-bars written in true Fieri style. The biggest surprise bonus is you also get a recipe or two from each establishment. (Getting the recipe for Duarte's crab cioppino is, in itself, worth the price of the book!) I'm guessing a big source of hits on the Food Network web site is to find the exact location of restaurants featured on Fieri's show. (I'm still trying to find the elusive taco truck north of San Jose. Also, is it just me, or is the Food Network web site truly one of the more difficult ones to navigate?) Regardless, you now have the perfect reference -- descriptions, locations and recipe's included! And, as expected -- coming from Fieri -- it's all done in a very entertaining manner.
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| 19. The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook: Every Recipe from the Hit TV Show With Product Ratings and a Look Behind the Scenes, 2001-2011 by America's Test Kitchen | |||
 | Hardcover
list price: $39.95 -- our price: $26.37 (price subject to change: see help) Isbn: 1933615710 Publisher: Boston Common Press Sales Rank: 397 Average Customer Review:
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Editorial Review Recipe Excerpts from The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook Reviews
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| 20. Semi-Homemade The Complete Cookbook by Sandra Lee | ||||
 | Hardcover-spiral
list price: $29.95 -- our price: $14.98 (price subject to change: see help) Isbn: 0470874058 Publisher: Wiley Sales Rank: 485 Average Customer Review:
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Editorial Review Serves 4 Ingredients PORK ROAST CHUTNEY Preheat oven to 450°F. For the roast, season pork roast with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, stir together herbes de Provence, onion powder, garlic, and lemon juice. Rub over pork roast and place roast in shallow roasting pan. Place roast in oven and reduce heat to 325°F.Roast for 30 minutes per pound or until internal temperature reaches 165°F. (Roast will continue to cook up to 170°F out of the oven.) Let pork roast rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. For the chutney, combine all chutney ingredients and stir thoroughly. Serve chutney at room temperature over pork roast. Tip: Herbes de Provence is a blend of dry herbs most commonly used in southern France. It usually contains basil, fennel seeds, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, sage, summer savory, and thyme. Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade The Complete Cookbook serves up delicious recipes from 20 in depth, unique chapters like Sandra's Cooking Basics, Poultry & Beef, 20 Minute Meals, International Fare, Slow Cooker & One Pot Wonders and provides an insiders' view of Sandra's new kitchen, pantry and three at home eating areas-formal, family and kitchen dining. Sandra, who can often be seen on the Today show and Good Morning America, is thrilled to share with her readers, an exclusive chapter featuring cherished recipes from her sister, muse and frequent guest on Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee, Kimber Lee. These quick and easy recipes, straight from Sandra Lee's dining room table to yours, are based on Sandra's Semi-Homemade philosophy and use roughly 70 percent ready-made products and 30 percent fresh ingredients, so you can take 100% of the credit. For Sandra Lee fans, this is the ultimate Semi-Homemade collection, packed with all-time favorites, fresh fares and fun new recipes. Between the stresses and duties of family and work, it's tough to put a delicious meal that saves time and money on the table every night of the week. Thankfully, there's Sandra Lee! Recipe Excerpts from Semi-Homemade The Complete Cookbook Reviews
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Lacking, December 15, 2004
Wish I had waited to check it out in store..., September 16, 2010
a sad echo of the original -- but you can still get the real thing, November 21, 2008
